Machine for bulging sheet-metal vessels.



No. 698,404. Patented Apr. 221902.

a. w. K-NAPP.

MACHINE FOR BULGl-NG SHEET 'ME'TAL VELSSELS.

(Application filed Apr. 13, 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Wtizess es. fivenfor- No." 698,404. Patented, Apr. 22, I902.

a.-w. KNA'PP. g MACHINE FUR BULGlNG-SHEET METAL VESSELSQ (Application filed Apr. 13. 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

WZZFzesseS- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFrcE.

GEORGE W. KNAPP, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGE'OR TO NATIONAL ENAMELING & STAMPING 00., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR BULGING SHEET-METAL VESSELS. V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 698,404, dated April 22, 1902.

Application filed April 13, 1901. SerialNo. 55,596. fllo'model.)

To 09% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. KNAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Bulging Sheet-Metal Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for bulging the straight cylindrical sides of seamless sheet-metal vessels having bottoms, such as saucepans, kettles, pots, and the like.

l-Ieretofore in the manufacture of sheet metal vessels--such as saucepans,kettles,and analogous utensils having bulged sides-the vessels have been first drawn by a suitable punch into cup shape with straight cylindrical sides and have then had their straight sides bulged or swelled by spinning tools, either interior or exterior or by presses which use female dies on the exterior of the vessel and rubber or hydraulic dies on the interior of the vessel and adapted to bulge the latter, so that they will conform to the shape of the exterior dies. l'

The object of this invention is to provide a machine for changing the straight cylindrical sides of sheet-metal vessels, such as the vessels before mentioned, into expanded or bulged shape quickly and inexpensively by the positive action of a series of radial dieblocks and without using an exterior or female die.

The invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements, and combinations of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation with parts in section of a machine and die for bulging the sides of seamless sheetmetal vessels and showing the radial expanding-blocks in the lower, spread-apart, or expanded position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing parts of the machine in the raised position and the expanding-die in the contracted position. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the circle of radial expanding-blocks, the plug for expanding said blocks not being shown. Fig. 4: is a detail perspective view of one of said blocks. Fig. 5 is a side view of a seamless sheet-metal vessel with straight cylindrical sides ready to be acted upon by the expanding-die of the machine. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the vessel afterits sides have been expanded by said die.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the let ter a. designates the bed-plate of the machine, and b designates two vertical posts provided on their adjacent inner sides with vertical guides c. Ahorizontal crank-shaftdis driven by suitable power applied to its drive-pulley e, and a pitman g connects the crank fto a cross-head 71., mounted to slide vertically between the two guides c. The cross-head has a socket 17. To the lower side of said crosshead his rigidly secured the upper flange j of a tapered plug it, which projects downwardly, and said plug is provided with avertical central bore m, extending entirely therethrough and opening at its upper end into the socket 7o 2'. A rod or pin a is fitted to slide in said bore m, with its upper end extending into the socket 2', said upper end having a head 0, movable up and down in the socket as the pin moves and which abuts against the upper side of the plug to limit the downward movement of the pin. To the lower end of said pin is rigidly secured a plate 19, as shown in Figs.

1 and 2. A plurality of expanding-blocks q are supported so as to slide on the upper sur- 8o face of the plate 19 and are grouped radially around the plug 70, whereby to form the circle or expansible part of the die.

By the arrangement of parts above described it will be seen that the cross-head h forms a reciprocable support, from which the die-blocks are suspended, and that the said support is cabable of a limited up-and-down movement independent of said die-blocks. Each die-block has anouter wall, that is to 0 be of the shape it is desired the expanded or bulged sheet-metal vessel shall have when finished. In the present instance, as shown best in Figs. 3 and 4a, the said outer wall r of each block is convex in the direction of its 5 upper and lower ends, and each block also has converging side walls 8 and an inner inclined wall 25, and each radial block has a curve on its outer wall that is a segment of the circle formed when all the blocks are expanded to the full extent. Two segmental recesses a v are formed-one in the top and the other in the bottom of each block. When all the blocks are grouped on the plate p and around the plug is, said recesses form upper and lower annular channels, each of which receives a compression-sprin g 10, which serves to normally press the said blocks together with their converging side walls 5 in contact, whereby to circumferentially contract the expansible part of the die.

In practical operation power is applied to the drive-pulley c to rotate the crank-shaft d and reciprocate vertically the cross-head h. WVhen the said cross-head begins to move upwardly, the plug also moves upwardly, at first independent of the pin a, the platep, and the radial expanding-blocks q, and until the pin-head 0 abuts against the upper side of the said plug, which limits the said independent movement, and then all of the said parts move upwardly with the plug and take the position shown in Fig. 2. The limited upward independent movement of the tapered plug 70 partially withdraws the latter from the expandingblocks and allows the compression springs to to draw the said blocks together and hold them in contracted position, as shown in Fig. 2. As the crankfof the shaft passes the center and begins to descend, with the parts of the die in the vertically-attenuated and circumferentially-contracted position shown in Fig. 2, the operator places a seamless sheet-metal vessel, such as is shown in Fig. 5, with straight cylindrical sides w, on the die until the bottom of the vessel abuts against the under side of the dieplate 1). The die moves downwardly with the vessel thus inserted over it until the bottom of the vessel rests on the bed-plate a of the machine, and thereafter the cross-head h and plug k continue to move, but independently of the blocks g. This final movement of the tapered plug spreads the radial blocks outwardly against the sides of the vessel, expanding the straight cylindrical sides of the vessel into the bulged or swell shape shown at y, Fig. 6. The die is then contracted and carried upwardly out of the mouth of the vessel, and the operation just described is repeated with other vessels.

No exterior die is necessary with the im proved expanding-die hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for bulging the sides of sheet-metal vessels having bottoms, the combination of a bed-plate for the vessel to rest on while it is being expanded; a plurality of radial blocks all of which together form a substantially circular expansible part with an opening at the center and the outer wall of each block being convex in the direction of its upper and lower ends; a plate by which said blocks are supported and on which they have a radially-sliding movement, and on which they are carried into and out of the vessel that is to be bulged; a vertically-reciprocating cross-head; and a tapered plug carried by said cross-head and moved in the said central opening of the radial blocks.

2. In a machine for bulging the sides of sheet-metal vessels having bottoms, the combination of a vertically-reciprocating crosshead; a tapered plug rigidly attached to said cross-head; a plurality of radial blocks all of which together form a substantially circular expansible part with a centralopening which receives the said tapered plug, all of said blocks being loosely suspended and having a limited up-and-down movement relative to said tapered plug and the outer wall of each block being convex in the direction of its upper and lower ends; a plate by which said blocks are supported and on which they have a radially-sliding movement; and a stationary bed-plate below all of the aforesaid parts and on which the sheet-metal vessel will rest while the expansion of the radial blocks takes place.

3. In a machine for changing the straight, cylindrical shape of the sides of sheet-metal vessels, such as saucepans, kettles, pots and analagous utensils, into expanded or bulged shape, the combination of a vertically-reciprocable cross-head; a tapered plug carried by said cross-head a plurality of radial blocks independent of each other and all of which together form a substantially circular expansible part with a central opening which receives the said tapered plug, the said blocks and said plug having an independent limited up-and-down movement with respect to each other and said blocks also having a radiallysliding movement; a plate by which said blocks are supported and carried into and out of the vessel that is to be expanded; and a bed-plate below all of the aforesaid parts and on which the sheet-metal vessel will rest while the expansion of the radialblocks takes place.

4. In a machine for bulging the sides of sheet-metal vessels having bottoms, an expanding-die comprising a plurality of radial blocks which together form the circle of the expanding-die and each block provided with an inner inclined wall all of which walls together form an opening in the center of the die, and the outer wall of each block being convex in the direction of its upper and lower ends; a plate adapted to sit within the sheetmetal vessel and rest on the bottom thereof and support the said radial blocks; and a tapered plug in the center opening of the die and in contact with the inner inclined walls of all the blocks, whereby the straight, cylindrical sides of the vessel may be changed to bulged sides without using an exterior die or former.

5. In a machine for bulging the sides of seamless sheet-metal vessels having bottoms, an expanding-die comprising a plurality of radial blocks which together form the circle of the expanding-die with an opening at the center and said blocks provided at their tops and bottoms with annular channels; compressheet-metal vessels having bottoms, the combination of a vertically-reciprocating cross-- head provided with a socket; a tapered plug rigidly attached to and depending from said cross-head, and provided with a vertical bore opening into said socket; a pin mounted to slide in said bore with its upper end extending into said socket and provided with a head adapted to limit the downward movement of said pin in said bore; a plate secured to the lower end of said pin; and a plurality of radial blocks supported by and slidable on said plate and grouped around saidplug andprovided with inner inclined walls engaged by said plug and said blocks also provided with outer walls uniformly convex from top to bottom.

7. In a machine for bulging the sides of sheet-metal vessels having bottoms, the combination of a vertically-reciprocating crosshead provided with a socket; a tapered plug rigidly attached to and depending from said cross-head and provided with a vertical bore opening into said socket; a pin mounted to slide in said bore with its upper end extending into said socket and provided with a head adapted to limit the downward movement of said pin in said bore; a plate rigidly secured to the lower end of said pin; a plurality of radial blocks supported to slide on said plate and grouped around saidplug, and provided with inner inclined walls engaged by said plug; and compression-springs acting on the tops and also on the bottoms of said radial blocks to press the said blocks together, as set forth.

8. Ina machine for bulging the sides of sheet-metal vessels having bottoms, the combination of a vertically-reciprocating crosshead; a tapered plug rigidly attached to said cross-head; a plurality of radial blocks independent of each other and all of which together form an expansible part with a central opening which receives the said tapered plug-each block being provided at its top and also at its bottom with a recess all of which together form annular channels at the top and bottom of the said expansible part; an endless spiral spring in each of said channels and tending to press said radial blocks together; and a bed-plate on which the bottom of the sheet-metal vessel may rest while the vessel is being expanded.

9. In a machine for bulging the sidesof sheet-metal vessels such as saucepans, ket= tles, pots, and analogous utensils, the combi nation" of a plurality of die-blocks all of which together form a substantially circular expansible part with an opening at the center;a

reciprocable support from which said dieblocks are suspended and with respect to which blocks said support has an independent limited up-and-down movement; a plate in contact with the lower ends of all the expanding die-blocks; and a tapered plug movable in the center opening of said die-blocks. Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

, GEORGE W. KNAPP.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK S. STITT, CHARLES L. VIETSCH. 

